Happy Grandparents Day!

Hope all of you grandparents enjoy an extra special day today!

Do You Remember Where You Were?

I was at a Women's Bible Study on the morning of 9/11/01. It started at 9:00 est, so we had really just gotten started and someone came in to tell our teacher what was happening. Immediately we went into prayer and then they were broadcasting it over the big screens in the sanctuary, so we went in to see what was going on. Mari Cate was just 2 years old, so she was in the nursery and Conner was at 1/2 day Kindergarten. I can remember all I was thinking was I want to get my babies with me and make sure that they are safe. However, I did go home and let Conner stay at school with much hesistancy. I remember it was a gorgeous day with a bright blue sky as I drove to pick him up at noon and felt so much better to have him with me. I also remember looking in the skies and wondering if I would see any military planes flying over, which we did sometimes during the next few days. It was an eerie feeling. Frank was still working for the police department then, so he was pretty much on standby 24 hours/day over the next few days. I couldn't wait for him to get home either though. Funny how you can remember vivid details about some events that happen in your life and nothing about others. Do you remember where you were or what you were doing?

Remember to say a prayer for those families that lost loved ones during the tragedy and remember to thank God for the men and women who risked their lives to help the others.

(Originally posted 9/11/08)

Homemade Cheesy Chicken Noodle Soup

This is wonderful recipe, especially once it starts getting cooler.  I guess some of you are in places where that is already happening.  Actually I guess it is starting to get cooler here too...we're down to the lower 80's now...I am really ready for 60's and 70's though...those are about my favorite temperatures of all!

So I do my recipe by heart and everything may not be exacts, but it is not something you can mess up too badly I don't think : ).

1 lb. chicken boiled and cut up into small pieces (I used boneless skinless breasts most of the time...just makes it easier and less time consuming)

Stock from the boiled chicken (if you don't have enough just add a can of chicken broth or if you don't have any use 2 cans of chicken broth)

1 can Cream of Chicken Soup

1 cup of Milk

1 small package of Mexican Velveeta cut up in to small pieces for melting (this can be omitted for regular chicken noodle soup)

1 package of medium or large egg noodles

Boil chicken and save broth for the liquid.  I season my chicken while it is cooking with seasoned salt and pepper (you can do this to your liking).  Put the chicken aside to cool, cutting into small pieces after cooled.  In the broth, add your cream of chicken soup and milk and cut up Velveeta.  After this has blended well, add your noodles and cook until noodles are done.  Add you chicken and continue heating on low.

I usually cook this on the stove instead of the crock pot.  However, I do move it to my crock pot when I am taking it somewhere usually.  Haven't tried cooking it in the crock pot with the noodles having to cook, so if anyone tries, let me know the outcome!!  Enjoy!

Freebie of the Day

You know me...I love anything FREE!  So here's an offer for you.

Click HERE to get a free sample of Betty Crocker potatoes!

Jumping OFF the Bandwagon

Friends and Family, I have made a big decision. I have decided to make this blog for my "simple living" (if there is such a thing) posts and start another private blog to write about my family and our adventures. I have been contemplating this for some time. It is very hard for me to justify my words to my children when I tell them, don't give out private information about you and our family anywhere on the internet (unless we instruct them to) when I am posting pictures and information everyday (or close to it) about their private lives. I don't mind sharing with you, my family and friends, this information because most of you already know it, but in the back of my mind there is this thought that there is a crazy person lurking around out there and he might show up at one of their schools! (Being married to a cop for almost 20 years begins to wear off on you!) Most of the time I try not to give out any information about friends without getting permission first, but I know that there is that rare occasion that I do or that someone is a photo that I didn't get permission from, so I want to render that. If I have a blog that is private, then, only the people that I "approve" will be able to access it.

I want to be able to share pictures with my family and friends, especially those that don't live near us (you know who you are ~smile~), so that they can see us and my children, see what we are into, how they are growing, I just don't care for every Tom, Dick, and Harry to know about it.

When I told Frank of my decision, he said "Finally!" He had never mentioned his concern to me, but it showed when he answered that. I will be deleting posts that have pictures/personal information regarding my family on this blog (Toward A Simpler Life). I will still be posting to this blog, but it will be more like my food pictures and other random pictures/information. I hope I can still keep it going well, since so much of my blog is related to my family. We shall see...

For those of you who wish to continue reading about our family, I am quickly working on the other blog to get it up and running. The name of the blog is "Life--Our Great Adventure", the link to it is here. Obviously, this will be unaccessable unless you are approved to view it. If you will email me at kellys3angels@hotmail.com, I will be happy to add you to the list of approvals. I believe all you will have to do after I approve you, will be to type in your email address when it prompts you, you can even save your settings on your computer, so that you don't have to type it in I think. I will be happy to assist anyone that needs help getting to the new blog, so that you can continue to follow our adventures as a family.

Thank you for your understanding regarding this. Like I said, I have been thinking for a while, about what to do and how to do it, so this decision didn't come lightly, I have to look out for the safety of my children, my family.

Random Cuteness for your Wednesday Viewing

At Build-A-Bear for Mari Cate's party (pictures to follow) playing on the computers. Last time we went in there he "locked" them up!! Oops!

He found this little car for a Build-A-Bear and decided he wanted to ride in it...haha!!
He finally got all the way in it, then looked at us and waved bye!!

A Flock of Seagulls

Does anyone remember that group? That is what Frank said Hayden's hair looks like after he woke up this afternoon. He has had wild hair since he was born...poor thing! Look how big he looks laying across Frank! I really need to weigh and measure him to really see how big he is!! I know he weighs nearly 30 lbs...which is way bigger than Conner and Mari Cate were at this age! But he is not fat...at all, but he sure is cute, isn't he?? Remember to click on the collage for bigger pictures.